Advice on changing nap time

[HalseysMom]

Hi all- any advice you have to offer would be welcomed-
Halsey is 8mos.2weeks.
This is her current schedule:

7am wake & 6oz bottle
8:30 breakfast (solids)
9am nap 1.5 hours
11am 6oz bottle
12:30 lunch (solids)
1pm nap 1.5 hours
3pm 6oz bottle
5:00pm dinner (solids)
6:30 7oz bottle
7pm Bed

What I want to do is move the 9am nap back to 9:45 or so because I think then I can move her 1pm nap closer to 2pm.  Right now, she wakes at 2:30 from a 1pm nap & then can't make it all the way through the late afternoon/evening without becoming OT.  So, afternoons are usually miserable, and she becomes a lunatic right about the time dad gets home from work.  Do you think I'm on the right track?  How should I start? Just by moving her am nap further back by15 min increments?  And just move the pm nap in the same increment?  Any other advice?  She sleeps through the night perfectly, thank goodness.

[Shiv52]

Hi there

Sounds to me like you are exactly on the right track.  Here is some info:

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64158.msg476652#msg476652

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=85130.0

At 8.5 months typical A time is 3-4 hours so you're LO's A times are too short in the morning and too long before bed (just as you pointed out!).

I would add 15 minutes for a few days and if all goes well, then add another 15 for a few days etc until you are at the right naps times.  Should help with the OT in the evening before bed.  So ultimately aiming for something like:

7am  Wake up
10am Nap (1.5 hours)
11.30 Wake up
2.30 Nap (1.5 hours)
4pm Wake up
7-7.30pm Bed

HTH (and hurray on the sleeping through the night!!)

[HalseysMom]

Thanks- it helps to talk it through sometimes.  She goes to a sitter 3 days a week since I work part time.  I talked it over with her sitter today & she didn't seem too thrilled with the change because it interupts the schedules of the other 2 kiddies she keeps.  I know that should not matter to me, but I really love & need this woman otherwise.  Do you think I can just split the difference eg: do a 9:30 nap and cut it to 1 hour? Theoretically, that would set the stage for a 2 hour nap at 1:30?  Most of the time LO is up 6:30am playing in her crib till I go and get her at 7am.  Perhaps thats why she always seems quite ready to sleep at 9am- or do you think its simply habit?  I know I shouldn't try to accomodate my sitter on this, but I really don't know how to handle it.

[Shiv52]

I think its upto you.  If you think she'll handle the next A time on a one hour nap then I'd give it a go BUT I would stress to the sitter if it doesn't work out you'll need to change it again.  It might be hard for her to manage on 1 hour nap so just watch for OT setting in and make sure the pm nap is 2 hours otherwise it is too long a stretch to bed time if that makes sense? 

If it works for your LO I don't think there is any harm in accommodating so long as you have the option to change should it not suit!  After all in a few months she'll be on one nap and things will change again anyways and your sitter will have to accommodate that.

But you won't know until you try so give it a go and keep me posted how you are getting on!

[HalseysMom]

Well, mixed results today.  I kept her up till 9:20 and she woke herself in an hour.  She seemed fine all morning & early afternoon.  At 1:00 she dropped off in her activity saucer and I found her face down snoozin away!  It was only for a minute tho because I had just been in the room.  So, got her up & she perked up right away.  Put her to nap at 1:20 and she played around in there till 2pm!  She usually only takes 10min to settle.  She got up at 3:30 and has been somewhat grumpy ever since.  Not terrible, just not happy.  So, I guess I'll just try this a few more days & see.  We are a pretty scheduled household & I think maybe her routine is just very ingrained at this point.  Will see.

[Shiv52]

They can get stuck sometimes.  Try and be consistent for a few days and hopefully she'll get used to the longer A time!

{{{hugs}}}